Skirt hanger



Sept. 10, 1968 L. c. JENSEN ET AL 3,400,869

SKIRT HANGER Filed Aug. 22, 1966 ,IYVEMIQQS. LARA VA/ 62 JEN-551V, J m/L E. elm/sag.

United States Patent 3,400,869 SKIRT HANGER Larlyn C. Jensen and Paul R. Jensen, both of 1127 Elsberry Ave., Valinda, Calif. 91744 Filed Aug. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 574,071 1 Claim. (Cl. 223--95) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skirt hanger having a wire frame with depending arms including upper arcuate portions which curve inwardly toward and join one another at their upper ends along the longitudinal center line of the hanger and lower straight portions which substantially parallel one another and merge tangentially with the upper ,arm portions closely adjacent the midpoints of the arms, whereby the outline shape of the hanger conforms generally to the fiat outline shape of a womans skirt, and means for adjusting the spacing between the arms to stretch a skirt positioned on the hanger.

This invention relates generally to hangers for articles of clothing; more particularly, the present invention relates to a novel skirt hanger.

A variety of hangers have been devised for womens skirts. The existing skirt hangers, however, are not totally satisfactory. Many of the existing hangers, for example, simply grip the waist band of the skirt in such a way that the skirt is suspended in a free hanging position which often creates wrinkles in the skirt. Skirts supported on these hangers are particularly subject to wrinkling if they are permitted to hang undisturbed for any length of time. Moreover, even those skirt hangers which are designed to support a skirt in such a way as to avoid the formation of wrinkles are not effective to remove existing wrinkles in the skirt. The existing skirt hangers are also often difiicult to apply and remove. Accordingly, there is a definite need for an improved skirt hanger which is devoid of the above-noted and other deficiencies of the existing hangers.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide such an improved skirt hanger.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a skirt hanger which not only avoids the formation of wrinkles in the skirt but also effectively removes existing wrinkles.

A related object of the invention is to provide an improved skirt hanger comprising an open, essentially fiat resilient frame which is uniquely shaped to conform to the actual contour of the upper hip portion and the lower full portion of a womans skirt and is adapted to be positioned within the skirt in such a way as to stretch the skirt taut throughout its full length from waist to hem and thereby prevent the formation of wrinkles and remove any existing wrinkles in the skirt.

A further object of the invention is to provide a skirt hanger of the character described which is adjustable to receive womens skirts of various sizes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a skirt hanger of the character described which is relatively simple in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to apply and remove, and otherwise ideally suited to its intended purposes.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those versed in the art from a consideration of the following description, the appended claim and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a skirt 3,400,869 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 hanger according to the invention and a skirt disposed for placement on the hanger;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating the skirt in position on the hanger;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the skirt hanger in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 in FIGURE 3 and illustrates, in particular, certain releasable locking means for retaining the frame of the skirt hanger in its expanded condition of use;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating modified locking means according to the invention for retaining the hanger frame in its expanded condition of use and showing the locking means in their released condition;

FIGURE 6 is a section through the releasable frame locking means of FIGURE 5 showing the locking means engaged; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a further modified means according to the invention for yieldably retaining the hanger frame in its expanded condition of use.

The skirt hanger 10 of the invention which has been selected for illustration in FIGURES 1 through 4 of these drawings comprises an open, essentially flat resilient frame 12 which is adapted to be inserted endwise through a skirt, as by sliding the skirt downwardly over the frame in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1. Frame 12 has an upper cross member 16, a pair of depending arms 18 joined at their upper ends to the ends, respectively, of the cross member, and lower inwardly directed overlapping extremities 20 on the lower ends of the arms. Preferably, the frame is fabricated from a single long fiat metal bar which is bent to the configuration shown, thus to define the frame cross member 16, arms 18, and lower extremities 20. Secured to the upper cross member 16 is a hook 22 for attaching the frame to a support.

The resilient construction of the hanger frame 12 accommodates lateral expansion and contraction of the frame by relative movement or deflection of the frame arms 18 toward and away from one another. Contraction of the frame conditions the latter for insertion endwise through the skirt 14, as by sliding the skirt downwardly over the frame in the manner shown in FIGURE 1. After the skirt has been properly positioned on the hanger, as shown in FIGURE 2, the frame is expanded to stretch the skirt taut. Coacting between the lower inwardly directed extremities 20 of the hanger frame 12 are means 24 for releasably retaining the hanger in its expanded condition. In the particular skirt hanger under consideration, the coacting means 24 comprise releasable locking means including a rectangular sleeve 26 rigid on one frame extremity and slidably receiving the other extremity and a clamp screw 28 for locking the extremities against relative movement.

The major contribution of the present invention resides in the unique configuration of the hanger frame 12, whereby the latter conf rms to the natural contour of the upper hip portion an lower full portion of a typical womans skirt. To this end, the frame arms 18 include arcuate upper portions 18a which curve inwardly toward one another as they approach the upper frame cross member 16 and lower portions 18b which merge tangentially with the upper arcuate arm portions at positions adjacent the mid points of the arms. The frame 12 thus has a relatively narrow tapered upper end portion and a relatively wide lower end portion which provide the frame with an overall shape conforming to the natural contour of a womans skirt, as may be best observed in FIGURES 2 and 3. The present skirt hanger is dimensioned for insertion into a typical womans skirt to the position of FIGURES 2 and 3, wherein the tapered upper end and the wide lower end of the hanger frame protrude, respectively, through the upper relatively small waist opening 30 and the relatively large bottom opening 32 of the skirt. When placing a skirt on the hanger, the hanger frame is positioned to engage the inner surface of the skirt along the seam line. When a skirt is properly positioned on the hanger, the upper waist and hip portions of the skirt encircle the curved upper end portions 18a of the frame arms 18 and the lower full portion of the skirt encircles the lower portions 18b of the arms. As noted earlier, after the skirt has thus been properly positioned on the hanger, the hanger frame is expanded, by spreading the hanger arms 18, to stretch the skirt taut, as shown in FIGURE 2, and is locked in this expanded condition by means of the clamp screw 28.

Owing to the conformance of the hanger frame 12 to the natural shape or contour of a typical womans skirt, the latter, when properly positioned on the frame, is stretched taut throughout its entire length, from waist to hem, by expansion of the frame. Retention of the skirt in this taut condition is effective, not only to permit the formation of wrinkles in the skirt, but also to remove existing wrinkles.

It is obvious at this point that the frame 12 of the present skirt hanger 10 may be retained in its expanded condition by means other than the releasable locking means shown in FIGURE 4. FIGURES 5 and 6, for example, illustrate modified releasable locking means 100 for this purpose. Locking means 100 comprise a number of openings 102 in one lower extremity of the hanger frame for selectively receiving projecting pins 104 on the other frame extremity. Pins 104 are provided with enlarged heads and are constructed of a plastic material which is sufficiently resilient or yieldable to permit the enlarged heads of the pins to be forced through the frame openings 102, thus to releasably lock the frame extremities to one another. The expanded width of the frame may be adjusted by selective insertion of the pins into the frame openings. In FIGURE 7, one of the lower, inwardly directed frame extremities 200 is formed with an axial bore 202 for slidably receiving the other frame extremity 204. A compression spring 206 positioned within the bore 202 acts between the end wall of the bore and the inner end of the frame extremity 204 for resiliently urging the hanger frame to its expanded condition. In this case, the inherent elasticity of the hanger frame may be relied on to prevent the spring 206 from urging the frame extremity 204 completely from its receiving bore 202. In the alternative, separate stop means may be provided for this purpose.

Those versed in the art will appreciate that the present invention achieves the objects and realizes the advantages hereinbefore mentioned.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the same are merely exemplary of presently preferred embodiments capable of attaining the objects and advantages hereinbefore mentioned, and that the invention is not limited thereto; variations will be readily apparent to those versed in the art, and the invention is entitled to the broadest interpretation within the terms of the appended claim.

The inventors claim:

1. A hanger for a Womans skirt having an upper tapered h-ip portion defining an upper relatively small waist opening and a lower full portion defining a relatively large bottom opening, comprising:

an open generally flat resilient frame including an upper cross member, depending arms joined at their upper ends to the ends, respectively, of said cross member, and inwardly directed overlapping extremities at the lower ends of said arms, respectively,

the lower ends of said arms being relatively movable toward and away from one another to expand and contract said frame edgewise,

means coacting between said inwardly directed extremities for releasably retaining said frame in its expanded condition, said arms having arcuate upper end portions which curve inwardly toward one another as they approach said cross member and lower end portions which merge tangentially with said arcuate portions, respectively, -at positions adjacent the mid points of said arms, whereby said frame has a relatively narrow arcuately tapered upper end and a relatively Wide lower end,

said frame being dimensioned for upward insertion through said skirt to a position wherein said upper and lower frame ends protrude through said Waist and bottom openings, respectively, of said skirt and said skirt is stretched taut by expansion of said frame, and

means on said cross member for attaching said frame to a support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 451,617 5/1891 Granjon 22363 561,806 6/1896 McCoy 22363 1,074,661 10/1913 Starke 22363 1,515,426 11/1924 Bishop 223 X 2,451,503 10/1948 Mastrillo 22363 3,169,004 2/1965 Rapata 248-74 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

